Coupling for windmills.



No. 760,473. PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

W. H. NICHOLS.

COUPLING FOR WINDMILLS.. APPLICATION nun mm: 1B. 1903.

UNITED STATES Patented May 24, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

I VILLIAM H. NICHOLS, OF MISHAIV AKA, INDIANA.

COUPLING FOR WINDMIL LS.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,473, dated May 24, 1904. Application filed June 16,1903. Serial No. 161,690. (No model.)

To (til whom, if; TIMU/ concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. NICHOLS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Mishawaka, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. in Couplings for Windmills; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to couplings for windmills, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this character wherein the pump-rod may be conveniently and interchangeably coupled with either the connecting-rod of the windmill or with a pump-handle when hand-power is employed.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction. combination, and operative aggroupment of the parts, all as will be more fully described hereinafter, illustrated in the accompanying.

drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device applied to a windmill. Fig. 2 is a perspective, on an enlarged scale, showing the application of the invention to the end of a hand-lever. Fig. 3 is a perspective in detail showing the application of the invention to the connecting-rod of the windmill; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section of Fig. 2, taken transversely through the end of the handlever.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar reference notations indicate like parts appearing in the several illustrations, 1 designates the pump-rod, which when the windmill is being operated by wind-power is connected to the connecting-rod 2, which is driven by the mill-wheels in the usual manner to reciprocate the pump-rod. This pump-rod may be disconnected from the connecting-rod 2 and coupled to a pump-handle 3 when it is desired to employ hand-power, and the means whereby this'coupling and uncoupling may be conveniently and rapidly effected forms the subject-matter of my invention.

The coupling member, as shown in Figs. 2

and t, comprises a U-shaped plate 4, which may be fastened at its outer end 5 to the side of the pump-handle, or it may be entirely separate therefrom, the latter arrangement being preferable in order that the bifurcated end of the pump-handle may be easily fitted on the pump-rod, and when the plate 4 is applied the bifurcation is closed by the crown portion of such plate. Extending from one side of the U-shaped plate is an arm or hol low boss 6, the outer end of which is closed and formed with a lateral extension on one side to provide a seat 7 for the end of a locking-bolt. From the end of this seat projects a lug 8, which forms a stop for the lockingbolt, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the arm or boss 6 is an endwise-movable and revoluble locking-bolt 9, which is formed with a shoulder 10 and has its outer end bent back to lie parallel with the main portion thereof, as at 11, to provide a linger-grasp for operating the bolt. Mounted on the bolt is a helical spring 12, having one end bearing against the shoulder 10 and its other end against the end of the arm, whereby the bolt is normally held projected with its straight end piercing the aperture 13 in one arm of the bifurcated end of the pump-handle. The

bent end 11 of the locking-bolt forms a slot between the shank portion thereof and said end for the reception of the end plate of the arm 6 when the bolt is projected forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4; but when the bolt has been withdrawn from the apertures in the pump-rod 1 and pump-handle and the spring contracted it may be held in this position by giving it a partial rotation to bring the bent end 11 into engagement with the seat 7 and the stop 8, on which it rests. This position of the bolt is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. 3.

In practice two couplings are provided for each windmill, one being applied to the socketed end of the connecting-rod 2, as shown in Fig. 3, and the other being applied to the end of the hand-lever 3, which is usually fulcrumed upon an arm (0, extending from the upper end of a pump-barrel b. When wind-power is employed for operating the mill, the locking-bolt I00 of the pump-handle coupling is withdrawn from engagement with the pump-rod, and the rod is free to reciprocate through the bifurcated end of the handle.

In Fig. 3, wherein the coupling for the connecting-rod is shown, the means for attaching the plate 4 to the socketed end of the connecting-rod is slightly different from that shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and this means may consist of screws or bolts 14, which pass through the plate 14c and engage with a plate 15 on the opposite side of the socket, and it will be apparent that many other changes in form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims.

When the parts are to be coupled, the ap ertures in the end of the pump-handle or the end of the connecting-rod are brought into alinement with the aperture in the pump-rod, and by giving the locking-bolt a partial rotation the bent end thereof will be released from its seat, and the spring will project the opposite end thereof through the alining apertures and hold the locking-bolt in that position. .A reverse operation will uncouple the parts, and when the bent end 11 is seated against the eX- tension 7 the lug 8 forms a stop and prevents accidental displacement of said bent end.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a device of the class described the combination with the parts to be coupled and a plate secured to one of said parts and provided with an arm, of an endwise-movable and rotatable locking-bolt, having its inner end normally projected through said parts and its outer end arranged to normally extend beyond the end of the arm and toward the parts to be coupled, the end of said arm having an extension provided with a lug to form respectively a seat and stop for the outer end of the bolt.

2. A coupling of the class described comprising a plate, an arm on the plate, a coup- 

